The invention relates to a method for guiding toward a target explosive projectiles provided with target tracking devices. Each target tracking device receives and detects electromagnetic radiation and produces an error signal indicating a deviation between the trajectory of the respective projectile and a trajectory passing through the target. The error signal controls guidance means on the projectile for reducing the deviation to zero.
In order to improve the accuracy of projectiles comprising such tracking devices, it has previously been proposed to illuminate the target area with electromagnetic radiation, to which the tracking device is sensitive. It is difficult, however to achieve sufficient illumination at reasonable costs and reliability. If the illuminator is placed at a large distance from the target, in order to be protected, a very high power illumination source is required. If the illuminator is placed in a unit close to the target (for example in an airplane flying across the target) it will be exposed to hostile fire.
In order to solve these problems it has previously been proposed to fire a burst of projectiles including a special projectile having an illumination source for illuminating the target area. This projectile serves only to illuminate a zone where a target may be present, as an aid for other projectiles so that the target tracking devices in these projectiles can more easily discover the target. Such an illumination projectile does not deliver any target information, because it illuminates a given zone whether or not there is any target within the zone.